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  • WBB: Liv McGill Named to SEC All-Freshmen Team

    WBB: Liv McGill Named to SEC All-Freshmen Team

    Photo by Matt Kelley • Getty Images

    Florida women’s basketball guard Liv McGill is no stranger to success. The Minneapolis native was the seventh-ranked recruit in the nation for the class of 2024, becoming Florida’s highest-ranked recruit ever. 

    McGill attended Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota, where she helped lead the Royals to consecutive state championship finals. 

    The accomplishments continue, now as a Gator, for McGill. She was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team earlier today after an impressive regular season campaign. 

    McGill led all freshmen in the country for total assists with 151 and for assists per game at five. She also ranks in the top five for scoring across all freshmen, reaching 486 points in her first college season. 

    McGill recorded her first triple-double earlier this season against Missouri, totaling 21 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. McGill became the first Gator to achieve this milestone since 2017 and is the only freshman in the country to record a triple-double this season. 

    However, the point guard remains humble as ever, always wanting to involve her teammates, which leads to many scoring options.

    “My whole life I’ve considered myself a pass-first point guard. So, owning up to that role and being a leader, getting my teammates organized and putting them in the best positions possible opens it up for me,” said McGill. 

    The Florida freshman averages 16.2 points per game and scored double figures in 27 of her 30 outings. Additionally, McGill racked up 20-plus points in 11 games this season. 

    Florida Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley is impressed with the leadership responsibilities McGill has taken on.

    “She’s incredible. I challenged our staff to find another freshman in Power-four basketball who has the responsibility that she [McGill] has for our team. I can’t think of one,” said Finley.

    McGill quickly became a key player for the Gators and leads the team in many categories, including total points (486), points per game (16.2), made field goals (183), assists (151) and steals (57).

    Florida’s young star will compete in her first SEC Championship tournament starting tomorrow. The Gators tip off against Auburn at 8:30 p.m. ET with the game streaming on SECN.

  • BSB: Three things to watch in midweek matchups against UCF, FAU

    BSB: Three things to watch in midweek matchups against UCF, FAU

    (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

    With a 2-1 series win against Miami behind them, the No. 7 Florida Gators have no choice but to keep their eyes forward with the last full week of non-conference play ahead of them before a heavy slate next week on the road against No. 6 Florida State and No. 2 Tennessee.

    Kicking off the final warmup week for Florida is a road matchup against UCF Tuesday before returning home Wednesday to host Florida Atlantic. Here’s three things to watch in the midweek:

    Depleted arms

    Florida had to call upon five bullpen arms in Sunday’s 13-7 loss to Miami, including previous midweek starters Billy Barlow and Jackson Barberi.

    While Barberi only threw 13 pitches and will be good to go for the midweek, Barlow ended up throwing 39. At best, he gets moved to Wednesday’s matchup and makes a short appearance.

    “Obviously not the result [Barberi] wanted, but we’ve gotta think ahead to Tuesday,” Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said.

    As for who else might get the start in the midweek, look for right-handers Caden McDonal or Christian Rodriguez. McDonald didn’t make an appearance all weekend and Rodriguez only threw 20 pitches on Sunday.

    Duel with Duer

    Florida Atlantic will offer whichever Florida pitcher starts Wednesday a challenge in the form of outfielder Jake Duer. The TCU transfer is leading the team with a .520 average and has knocked in 9 RBIs. He went 7-for-13 with two RBIs and a walk-off home run last weekend against Fordham.

    Duer could take advantage of a less experienced or depleted pitcher thrown into the starting spot.

    Keeping the Knights’ bats cold

    Before Florida faces the Owls, it’ll travel to deal with UCF and its red-hot lineup. Eight of the team’s batters are hitting above .300, and the Knights have knocked in 84 RBIs this season. Standing out among the rest is outfielder Andrew Williamson. He’s slashing .365/.682/.472 with three homers and 14 RBIs.

    The Gators could get caught slipping early with Williamson’s big bat.

    Florida takes on UCF Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Orlando. The game will stream on ESPN+.

  • BSB: Five highlights from Gators’ rivalry series win

    BSB: Five highlights from Gators’ rivalry series win

    (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

    After going 4-1 last week and a weekend series win against Miami, the Florida Gators are up to 11 wins and the No. 7 spot in the D1Baseball Top 25. Not everything went perfect for the Gators however.

    There were plenty of positives from the weekend, but Sunday’s 13-7 loss reminded everyone Florida has plenty to work on and improve with two weeks until SEC play begins. That being said, here’s five highlights from the weekend against the ‘Canes:

    Peterson makes the start he’d been working towards

    Florida sophomore right-hander Liam Peterson has been carrying the load as the Gators’ Friday ace this year. He was in the same role last year and struggled mightily, only making it to 6.0 innings pitched twice and finishing with a 3-6 record and a 6.43 ERA.

    Peterson had been having an excellent start to the year so far, but still hadn’t made it as deep as coach Kevin O’Sullivan and staff would like to see headed into Miami weekend. After a bumpy start on Friday, Peterson hunkered down and made it six innings, tossing seven strikeouts and allowing just two runs.

    “Last year, he wouldn’t have been able to keep it together for six innings,” O’Sullivan said. “He was outstanding. He set the tone for the weekend.”

    Coppola, Kurland exit injured

    Game two Saturday got off to a rough start as Florida second baseman Cade Kurland and starting left-handed pitcher Pierce Coppola exited early with injuries.

    Kurland seemed to have an injury to the shoulder, later returning to the dugout with a sling and missing the rest of the weekend. Coppola was pulled early on in his start after he showed some command and velocity issues. The rumor circulating is that it’s just a blister on Coppola’s hand, but nothing verified has surfaced just yet on that front.

    O’Sullivan didn’t have updates for either player following Sunday’s loss. Expect more word on both before the weekend series against Harvard.

    Freshman Lawson breaking out

    Brendan Lawson has been an absolute force for the Gators so far this season. The true freshman out of Toronto, Canada, is batting .357 with 14 RBIs and seven homers in the 2025 campaign, and has caught the eyes of people both in and out of the program. He earned SEC Freshman of the Week Honors last week. After homering against the ‘Canes Friday, his teammates showed some love, too.

    “He always just works ABs really well,” Peterson. “He’s a really good player.”

    Heyman hammers the weekend

    Catcher Luke Heyman has had some struggles at the plate prior to this weekend against Miami. Against the Hurricanes, however, the third-year slugger put up three hits, five RBIs and two home runs on the weekend.

    Heyman has been sharing reps at catcher and designated hitter with Brody Donay and Landon Stripling. As his struggles went on the past two weeks, his consistency has wavered in terms of playing time. If he can carve out a consistent role and find success he’s had in the past, it would be a huge positive for the Gators outlook on the season.

    New day, same struggles for Clemente

    While Peterson grows into the role he’s needed in and Coppola’s health is currently up in the air, the thought experiment about Florida’s starting rotation is far from over. Maybe the biggest thorn in the Gators staff’s side is right-hander Jake Clemente.

    Clemente was moved to the Sunday spot after struggling with command and, like Peterson, failing to get deep into his starts the past two Saturdays. After those struggles flared up again in fourth inning Sunday against Miami, O’Sullivan insisted on putting him back out there for the fifth.

    That decision led to Miami taking the lead and eventually spoiling the sweep. O’Sullivan made it clear he’s gonna be looking for solutions to his starters’ struggles this week, and even implied that Clemente could be headed to the bullpen.

    “I’ve been clear with these pitchers: we need you to throw six innings and allow three runs or less,” O’Sullivan said. “That’s the bottom line.”

    Next up, the Gators take on UCF in a road midweek tilt. First pitch Tuesday is set for 6 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+.

  • BSB: Gators drop finale versus Miami

    BSB: Gators drop finale versus Miami

    Photo via Gainesville Sports Commission

    Headed into Sunday’s matchup against the Miami Hurricanes, the Florida Gators were on a roll. A dominant 11-0 start including two wins already in the weekend series made a sweep seem all but inevitable. That is, until UF gave up five runs in the fifth inning, revealing that both on the field and, now, in the standings, that the Gators are far from perfect.

    No. 8 Florida (11-1) fell 13-7 to Miami (9-3) for its first loss of the season. Billy Barlow would pick up the loss on the mound for the Gators, letting up three runs in 3.0 innings pitched.

    “It’s disappointing,” said Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan. “We kinda just fell apart on the mound.”

    The Gators wasted no time taking the lead on Sunday. Hayden Yost led off the game with an automatic double before Bobby Boser hit him the rest of the way around on an RBI single. Miami starting pitcher Brian Walters would walk the bases loaded, but Florida only added one additional run an a sacrifice fly from Landon Stripling.

    After one inning, the Gators led 2-0.

    Clemente kept the ‘Canes scoreless through the opening third, including a third inning in which he struck out the side for his third, fourth and fifth Ks of the afternoon.

    The Gators added some insurance in the bottom frame as Brody Donay hit a two-RBI home run for his sixth jack of the season.

    Things began to unravel for the Clemente in the fourth inning. He walked a batter and hit another before giving up an RBI single. He’d then plunk another batter to load the bases with two outs before walking in Miami’s second run of the day.

    Despite the hiccup, Clemente finally secured the last out of the inning with the Gators still out in front. After a quiet 1-2-3 bottom frame from Florida, Clemente got another shot in the fifth, but quickly walked another batter and let up a single. He was subsequently pulled for freshman lefty Niko Janssens.

    “We needed our starter to go six innings, said O’Sullivan. “We’ll have to look at this starting pitching stuff.”

    Janssens walked a batter and was quickly replaced by right-handed veteran Billy Barlow. He let up two runs of his own to make it a 5-4 Miami lead before Florida could even make the first out of the inning. Barlow picked up two more runs before finally making the third out of the fifth.

    Headed into the back half of the game, the Gators trailed 7-4.

    Florida continued to let the game slip out of its reach. An E8 allowed a runner to reach second base for Miami before he was brought home on an RBI single. Another RBI single made it a 9-4 Miami lead before Barlow could close the frame.

    Jackson Barberi took over for Barlow in the seventh. He picked up the Gators’ first scoreless frame in three innings as Miami led 9-4 headed into the three remaining offensive frames for UF. Meanwhile, Florida picked up its fourth-straight 1-2-3 frame.

    Left-hander Jacob Gomberg took over in the eighth. He gave up three singles and walk to tack on another run for Miami. An RBI double put the ‘Canes within one run of walking the game off early, prompting O’Sullivan to swap Gomberg with Christian Rodriguez.

    The righty would be the one to finally get out of the eighth inning. Leaving the Gators with six more outs and a nine-run defecit.

    Florida showed a small sign of life in the eighth, scoring two runs on an RBI single from Brendan Lawson and another from Stripling. That sign of life grew as Blake Cyr dropped in a single to shallow center and loaded the bases with no outs.

    Luke Heyman, Ty Evans and Yost then made three-straight outs to strand their teammates and close the inning without any additional runs scored.

    Rodriguez came back out for the ninth and worked a scoreless frame, leaving Florida with three outs and needing five runs. It picked up one, but couldn’t get the job and picked up its first loss of the season.

    “Today was just one of those days it kinda got away from us,” said O’Sullivan.

    Next up, the Gators take on a midweek slate of UCF and Florida Atlantic. First pitch Tuesday in Orlando is set for 6 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+.

  • BSB: Gators secure game one in rivalry tilt

    BSB: Gators secure game one in rivalry tilt

    Photo via Gainesville Sports Commission

    Alex Philpott entered the game for the Florida Gators in the top of the ninth. With a 6-2 cushion, the sophomore righty needed just three outs to close out a statement rivalry win against the Miami Hurricanes.

    He’d sit the side in order, punching the final out to hand the Gators their 10th win in the last 11 matchups against Miami.

    No. 8 Florida (10-0) defeated Miami (8-2) 5-2 Friday night to open the weekend series. Gators starting pitcher Liam Peterson was awarded the win with 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB and 7 K.

    “He did a heck of a job,” said Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan. “Even after the first inning, he kept it together. Last year, he wouldn’t have been able to.”

    Miami struck first in the opening frame. Third baseman Daniel Cuvet doubled before shortstop Jake Ogden plated him with an RBI single. Peterson picked up two strikeouts to close the frame without allowing any more damage.

    The Gators wouldn’t wait around to respond. A pair of singles from Cade Kurland and former Hurricane Blake Cyr set up Luke Heyman to walk in Brendan Lawson, who was plunked to reach base, for the tying run. After two, the game was even at one run a piece.

    In the top of the third, Peterson’s early struggles from last year reared their head again. He hit a batter and walked another on the way to loading the bases, before missing on a pitch that allowed a runner to score. He’d pick up his fifth strikeout of the night to finally ease the jam.

    “I feel like last year I kind of let the innings roll over a lot,” said Peterson. “Today I handled that pretty well.”

    Once again, UF did not hesitate to swing back. Third baseman Bobby Boser launched one over the away bullpen to tie up the ballgame once again. Lawson followed suit with a deep shot to center for the 3-2 lead.

    Miami went to right-handed reliever Carson Fischer in the sixth. He’d work his way into loaded bases, prompting ‘Canes coach JD Martinez to swap him for righty freshman AJ Ciscar.

    He’d let up a sacrifice fly to Hayden Yost before the Gators ended the inning up 4-2.

    Left-handed sophomore Frank Menendez took over for Peterson in the seventh. He gave up a single before striking out two to close the frame.

    The Gators would add some more insurance in the seventh with an RBI single from Lawson to make it a 5-2 lead.

    Right-hander Luke McNeillie took over for Menendez in the eighth. He sat the side in order with a strikeout to boot. Boser added another run with an RBI single to make it 6-2 headed into the ninth.

    “I’m just trying to do my job up at the plate,” said Boser. “I think we’ve got a lot to prove with the stick, we’ve done a pretty good job and I’m glad to be in the middle of it.”

    McNeillie handed the ball over the Philpott for the close. He got the job done and the Gators secured the win.

    Florida looks to secure the series tomorrow. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. LHP Pierce Coppola (2-0, 0.00 ERA) will start on the mound. The game will stream on ESPN SEC Network+.

  • BSB: Three keys to victory in Miami series

    BSB: Three keys to victory in Miami series

    (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

    After squeezing by an undefeated midweek, the Florida Gators face their toughest challenge of the year so far against the Miami Hurricanes.

    “It’s always a great series,” Gators coach Kevin O’Sullivan said.

    No. 8 Florida (9-0) is set to take on Miami (8-1) this weekend. Here’s three keys to the Gators getting the win against their in-state rivals:

    Starters get deep

    O’Sullivan mentioned last weekend he’d like to see his starters get deeper into games before he has to call upon a bullpen arm. This weekend, he’ll try a potential solution — splitting his righties, Liam Peterson and Jake Clemente, by throwing Pierce Coppola out for the Saturday rest.

    If anything, this might be most helpful for Clemente, who O’Sullivan noted was having some mechanical and command issues in his last outing. Maybe the extra day’s rest will give him the chance to fix things.

    Beating Bobby

    If we’re being honest, the Gators haven’t exactly gone up against the most elite bats so far. This weekend against the Canes’ lineup will be their toughest challenge yet by far. The name O’Sullivan and the Gators probably have circled in red is Bobby Marsh.

    Simply put, Marsh is producing for the ‘Canes right now. He’s played in all eight games so far for Miami, batting .296 and putting up a team-high 15 RBIs. The Hurricanes will be relying on Marsh to come through this weekend while Florida will do whatever it can to prevent such a thing.

    Sunday slugging

    Again — Florida hasn’t played much competition so far. The first weekend’s sweep was dominant, making the second sweep a forgone conclusion. But there’s no guarantee this weekend. The Gators could find themselves playing for the series, or worse, a consolation win, when they wake up on Sunday.

    It doesn’t help that Miami’s Sunday starter, Brian Walters, has been simply dominant closing out weekends for the ‘Canes through two weeks of the season. He’s got a 2-0 record and a 0.82 ERA in 11 innings pitched with 19 strikeouts to go along with it. Last week against Princeton, he tossed six shutout innings before being relieved ahead of the seventh.

    “They’ve got three really outstanding starters,” O’Sullivan said.

    If Florida’s playing to win on Sunday, it’ll need to play with intentions of blowing up Walters’ start.

    First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday at Condron Family Ballpark and will stream on ESPN SEC Network+.

  • BSB: Three quick hits from Florida’s undefeated midweek stretch

    BSB: Three quick hits from Florida’s undefeated midweek stretch

    (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

    The No. 8 Florida Gators went a perfect 2-0 this week in its midweek slate ahead of a rivalry weekend series this weekend. Here’s three quick hits from Florida’s wins against Stetson and North Florida:

    Roaring ’20s

    Florida is off to a 9-0 start on the year — it’s best since 2020. That year, the Gators would make it to 16 wins before picking up their first loss against Florida State. For this year’s Gators to reach the 16-win mark, they’ll need to remain unbeaten through a slate of Miami, Florida Atlantic, UCF and Harvard.

    Long live the King

    Aidan King was the most electric arm of the midweek. He tossed three innings of scoreless relief against Stetson Tuesday, striking out four batters and walking zero. King has a plus fastball that sits at about 95 mph and has been quick to make batters miss.

    Expect the young flamethrower to pick up more leverage innings as the season progresses.

    Young arms carry the load

    Nine underclassmen pitchers made appearances this week, including all seven pitchers to get in the game on Wednesday against UNF. Jackson Barberi made the first start of his career, striking three in 2.1 shutout innings. Left-handers Niko Janssens and McCall Biemiller also made their collegiate debuts.

    Although it might be a good thing to get the young guys, going, Florida limited its bullpen options this weekend by burning so many arms Wednesday night.

    Barberi (51 TP), Janssens (40) and Caden McDonald (47) are unlikely to go. It’s unclear if Biemiller (25) will be available. All the other Wednesday arms tossed less than 20 pitches and should be all clear. King and Alex Philpott could also go despite throwing Tuesday. Luke McNeillie is the only reliever to make an appearance this season that didn’t throw in the midweek.

    Florida will stay at home this weekend to host in-state rival Miami. First pitch Friday is set for 6:30 p.m. and will stream on ESPN SEC Network+.

  • BSB: Late surge pushes Gators past North Florida

    BSB: Late surge pushes Gators past North Florida

    Photo via Gainesville Sports Commission

    In the bottom of the ninth, the Florida Gators were reeling against the North Florida Osprey. Tied 6-6, it was the closest the Gators had come to a loss all season. But with the bases loaded and one out, the Gators were just as close to victory.

    Freshman infielder Brendan Lawson would tip the scales in Florida’s favor, reaching home on a wild pitch to secure the win.

    “It was one of those things you can’t practice,” said Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan. “So we have to go through it.”

    No. 8 Florida (9-0) defeated UNF (6-3) 7-6 Wednesday night to go 2-0 on the weekend. Freshman righty Caden McDonald was awarded the win with 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 5 BF and 18 TP.

    The Gators got on the board in their first plate appearances of the night. Sophomore outfielder Hayden Yost led off with a double and was sent home on an RBI single from Colby Shelton. UF led 1-0 after one.

    Freshman right-hander Jackson Barberi got his first collegiate start for Florida but was pulled after just 2.1 innings. He walked and struck out three batters each and allowed one hit and zero runs. Left-hander Niko Janssens took over as just the second southpaw out of the Gators bullpen this season.

    The freshman would record his first strikeout to close the inning. The score remained a 1-0 Florida advantage after three innings.

    Florida’s scoring efforts resumed in the bottom fourth inning. Cade Kurland and Landon Stripling hit Lawson around the diamond with a pair of singles. Then, Blake Cyr singled to potentially load the bases before a throwing error scored Kurland.

    After four, the Gators found themselves up 3-0.

    Janssens debut was shut down 2.1 innings in after he gave up two singles in the fifth. Fellow first-year lefty McCall Biemiller entered the game — for the first time in his career — with two outs and two runners in scoring position before walking the bases loaded. He’d eventually force the fly out to keep UNF off the board.

    Biemiller would be pulled after giving up a two-out walk in the sixth. Florida would go back to a right-hander, redshirt freshman Christian Rodriguez, out of the bullpen. He’d blow one by for the final out of the frame and keep it a clean slate for the Gators.

    Rodriguez was relieved after giving up two hits in the seventh. Lefty Frank Menendez replaced him for his second appearance of the year with runners on the corners and one out. He’d let up a sacrifice fly to put the Osprey on the board. UNF’s fourth single of the inning would make it 3-2, and Menendez was pulled for sophomore right-hander Matthew Jenkins.

    He’d hit a batter to load the bases before punching the final out of the frame.

    UNF’s defense fell apart in the bottom seventh, allowing a run on a pair of errors. Then, Brody Donay happened. The junior slugger sent his fifth bomb of the year over the right outfield wall to socre two runs and make it a 6-2 lead.

    “Games like this are important to go through,” said O’Sullivan.

    In the top of the ninth, needing three more outs, the Gators let up a run and loaded the bases as McDonald came in for Jenkins to potentially finish the job. He ended up allowing a three-run double to tie the game at 6-6 before the Gators could get out of the inning.

    Despite the late-game drama, Lawson secured the winning run in the end.

    Up next, Florida will host in-state rival Miami in a three game series. First pitch Friday is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will stream on ESPN SEC Network+.

  • SB: Gators Run-Rule FGCU in Midweek Action

    SB: Gators Run-Rule FGCU in Midweek Action

    Photo via Gainesville Sports Commission

    In just her second career start, Florida freshman RHP Katelynn Oxley tossed a complete game (five innings), one-hitter as the Gators run-ruled FGCU 8-0 in front of 1,182 fans Wednesday. The Gators improved to 19-1 with the win while to Eagles fell to 6-13 on the season.

    Florida opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Jocelyn Erickson singled to left to plate Taylor Shumaker. The Gators added to the scoreboard just moments later when Korbe Otis scored on a double-steal thanks to a throwing error. Reagan Walsh added an RBI single to make it a 3-0 game after one inning of play.

    Florida increased it’s lead to 6-0 in the second inning on Shumaker’s eleventh home run that went over the wall in straight-away center. Shumaker now has 36 RBI in the first twenty games of her collegiate career.

    Erickson put the game in run-rule territory with a solo homer run on the first pitch she saw in the bottom of the fourth.

    Oxley pitched a 1-2-3 top of the fifth to end the game with ease. For the game, the Bartow, FL native allowed just one hit and surrendered one walk while striking out nine and earning her second win of 2025.

    The Gators head into the final weekend of non-conference play and will host the Florida Invitational. UF will face Samford, Troy, Western Michigan, and FAMU as part of the tournament.

  • BSB: Three things to watch in midweek slate against Stetson, North Florida

    BSB: Three things to watch in midweek slate against Stetson, North Florida

    Photo via Gainesville Sports Commission

    The No. 8 Florida Gators are a perfect 7-0 on the year and, barring any more inclement weather, are set to play their first full midweek slate of the year.

    Florida will head to DeLand for a one-off against Stetson Tuesday before returning home for a matchup against the North Florida Ospreys. While the weekend series with Miami looms large, the Gators mustn’t let rivalry excitement damper their performance ahead of time. Here’s three things to look out for in the midweek:

    Arms, arms, arms

    Coach Kevin O’Sullivan and staff have been committed to working through the bullpen to see what they have. Even so, there’s still some arms they haven’t seen enough of just yet.

    Expect Billy Barlow to get another midweek start, a role he’ll be in all season, likely on Tuesday again. He got up and moving in the bullpen Sunday but unsurprisingly didn’t not go in the game.

    O’Sullivan implied that Alex Philpott would get some time in the midweek. It’s possible he starts Wednesday. The Gators didn’t get to play their Wednesday game last week, so it’s unclear what the plans for the year are in terms of a starting pitcher.

    Florida also needs to take inventory of its left-handers. Frank Menendez is the only southpaw to come out of the bullpen so far, and he didn’t make his 2025 debut until Saturday, tossing 3.0 innings against Dayton. Look for Niko Janssens, who did at least throw in the bullpen over the weekend, to be next up.

    Jones’ homecoming in DeLand

    After Justin Nadeau went 3-for-3 with an RBI in his return to Jacksonville last week, sophomore outfielder Kyle Jones has a homecoming opportunity against Stetson. He returned Sunday after being out since opening day and should be good to go Tuesday night.

    Jones had a standout year with the Hatters in 2024. He started 62 games at playing center and batting leadoff. He scored a team-high 53 runs and slashed .355/.476/.459 on the way to ASUN Freshman of the Year honors.

    In two games played, Jones is 2-2 with an RBI and a walk. He should be a consistent contributor in the Gators lineup, a solid outfield glove and provide some speed on the base paths. Look for him to show off what he’s capable of in his old stomping grounds.

    North Florida no scratch

    Florida lost six midweek games last year. Improving that figure is certainly a necessary step towards presenting itself as a contender and setting up for a more favorable postseason. With that in mind, the Gators need to come ready to play at home Wednesday.

    The Ospreys are 6-2, dropping their first two to Notre Dame before salvaging the series in game three Feb. 15 and winning out since then. Don’t get it confused: the Gators should win. But they should have won a lot of the games they didn’t last season. If there is any trouble this week, expect it from UNF.

    Both games will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday’s game against Stetson will stream on ESPN+, and Wednesday’s matchup versus North Florida will stream on ESPN SEC Network+.